Painless tumour, nausea, blurred vision: Focus on muted cancer signs
Times of India | 2 February 2024
Kolkata: Muted symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, loss of body balance and memory lapse, could be signs of cancer, warned oncologists and survivors at private hospitals.
The hospitals held a cancer survivors’ meet and panel discussions on Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4. General symptoms like these could be misleading and potentially life-threatening as a significant percentage of cancer patients, who ignored them initially, were diagnosed in advanced stages, oncologists said.
Sudden onset of headaches, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, focal seizures or epilepsy could be indicative of brain tumour, said Harsh Jain, brain and spine surgeon at Medica Superspecialty Hospital that held a cancer survivors’ meet on Wednesday.“Imbalance, speech difficulty, memory problems and personality changes are some warning signs. But these are often general symptoms that don’t directly point to a brain tumour or any other form of cancer. So patients don’t always consult an ENT or ophthalmologists who can refer them to neurosurgeons,” said Jain. There were any known risk factors, apart from familial genetic conditions, he added.
Eleven brain tumour survivors shared their stories of resilience and hope at the meet. “I was not aware that I had a brain tumour for a long time. I could not work properly and initially, I attributed it to weakness from breastfeeding. The diagnosis brought my life to halt. Thankfully, I’m better now, travelling on my own and finding joy in being an ordinary person,” said Namrata, a working mother, who was diagnosed with meningioma.
Soumen, another survivor, was not aware of a cancerous “ping-pong ball size” tumour in his brain. “My head suddenly felt heavy. On consulting a couple of doctors, I was directed to a neurosurgeon who diagnosed it. It left me in shock for I had hardly felt anything. But a surgery has cured my physical discomfort,” said Soumen, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy and is on the path to recovery.
Around 55% of the afflicted is diagnosed in the third or fourth stages of the illness and survive less than five years, according to data and case studies compiled by IPGMER. Early detection through regular check-ups could increase chances of survival, said gastrointestinal oncologist Ajay Mandal at a panel discussion on cancer at CMRI Hospital on Thursday. “Sedentary routines, unhealthy diet and environmental factors have contributed to rising cases of cancer. Genetics also play a role. So family history should be considered to assess the risk,” added Mandal. Survivors at the meet said the decision to consult a doctor and seek surgical intervention had saved their lives. “I was disappointed at first. But after a surgery, my memory and working abilities are as good as ever,” said Mithu, a brain cancer survivor.
Several awareness events will be organized by Medica from February 4 to 8, including a free screening camp in Kolkata. Several remote screening camps across six districts six districts are planned for the next one month. “One new breast cancer patient is diagnosed every four minutes. It constitutes 14% of all cancers in Indian women, and cervical cancer accounts for 6%-29% cases,” said Medica oncologist Subir Ganguly. A team of Medica oncologists is working to “close the care gap”, by reaching out to patients and diagnose early.
(Inputs by Sourav Mandal)
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